Today's Los Angeles derby saw the Clippers host the Lakers, with the Lakers starting lineup featuring Reeves, Christie, Hachimura, James, and Davis; while the Clippers started with Harden, Powell, Derrick Jones, Leonard, and Zubac.
In the opening quarter, both teams started with turnovers. LeBron James continuously assisted Hachimura and Davis in scoring, while on the Clippers' side, Powell scored 7 points in a row, showing great form. After Jones made a follow-up basket, James hit two consecutive three-pointers, to which Harden responded with a 3+1, then assisted Leonard with a three-pointer, giving the Clippers a 6-point lead and forcing a Lakers timeout. After the timeout, both teams continued to attack each other, with Leonard, James, Davis, and Zubac all contributing points. With the score at 19-24, Coach Lue called a timeout. Returning to the game, Harden continued his three-point shooting, with Bamba, who came off the bench, also scoring. Davis and Reeves kept the Lakers in the game, and the first quarter ended with the Clippers leading 32-26.
In the second quarter, during the rotation phase, Leonard replaced Harden, and James returned to lead the team. Batum hit a three-pointer first, followed by James drawing a foul and making free throws. Leonard continued with a mid-range shot, to which Reeves immediately responded with a three-pointer. Both teams were once again locked in a tough battle, with Christie scoring a layup to bring the Lakers within 2 points. Porter then scored 4 points to stop the bleeding and force another Lakers timeout. Returning to the game, Leonard scored another 4 points, helping the Clippers gradually pull away. Upon Harden's return, he continued to lead the team's offense, culminating in a 19-4 run after a long pass to Coffey for a dunk! The Lakers relied on free throws to stem the bleeding, and at halftime, the Clippers led 64-49.
In the third quarter, Hachimura opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but Harden continued his impressive play, scoring himself and assisting teammates, leading to an 11-5 run that put the Clippers up by 21 points, forcing the Lakers to call a timeout. Returning to the game, James stepped up to stop the bleeding with consecutive scores, while Harden assisted Leonard, and Davis drew fouls and made free throws. However, Leonard's three consecutive mid-range shots and Harden's another three-pointer effectively sealed the game. Leonard nearly committed a turnover, prompting Coach Lue to call a timeout. Returning to the game, Davis struggled on both ends of the court, helping the Lakers reduce the deficit to within 20 points. Harden made free throws to stabilize the situation, and James scored a layup. The third quarter ended with the Lakers trailing 77-92.
In the final quarter, James and Harden led their respective teams, with the Lakers continuing to chase points. Fortunately, Powell remained aggressive, stabilizing the situation for the Clippers. Hachimura's mid-range shot brought the Lakers within 11 points, prompting Coach Lue to call another timeout. After the timeout, Zubac made a dreamy move for a 2+1, and Harden hit another three-pointer, reestablishing a 17-point lead that almost sealed the game, forcing another Lakers timeout. Returning to the game, Harden made a mid-range shot to stop the bleeding, but a turnover led to a steal and counterattack. Zubac made a strong follow-up basket, and Powell scored another layup, giving the Clippers a 15-point lead and forcing yet another Lakers timeout. Returning to the game, James refused to give up, leading the team in a continued pursuit of points. However, the Clippers held onto their advantage, and the Lakers' comeback attempt was unsuccessful as they conceded early.
Ultimately, the Clippers defeated the Lakers 116-102 at home. Let's take a look at the specific performances of the players!
Harden did not need to exert himself fully to overwhelm the Lakers today. In the first half, he went 8 for 3 (6 for 2 from three-point range), making 1 of 1 free throws for 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists.
In the third quarter, Harden took charge of both scoring and passing, leading the team to a small climax and a maximum lead of 24 points. He scored 7 points and had 5 assists in that quarter alone.
In the fourth quarter, with Leonard out, Harden single-handedly led the team to prevent the Lakers' comeback. For the entire game, Harden played 40 minutes, shooting 7 for 19, 4 for 9 from three-point range, and 3 for 3 from the free-throw line, tallying 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 12 assists.
With today's 12 points, Harden's career total surpassed the Big O, moving him up to 14th in history, just behind Hakeem Olajuwon.
Leonard still had playing time restrictions today, limited to 24 minutes, but the healthy Kawhi showed glimpses of his peak form.
In the first half, he went 5 for 8 from the field, 1 for 3 from three-point range, scoring 11 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal with a +11 plus-minus.
In the third quarter, Leonard's three consecutive mid-range shots were a masterclass. For the whole game, he went 9 for 13 from the field, 1 for 3 from three-point range, scoring 19 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal.
With today's 19 points, Leonard reached 14,000 career points in his 701st game.
The 40-year-old James played quite well today, but unfortunately, it turned into an empty effort.
In the first quarter, James went 3 for 6 from the field, 2 for 5 from three-point range, scoring 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. In the first half, he went 4 for 7 from the field (2 for 5 from three-point range) and 3 for 4 from the free-throw line, totaling 13 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal.
In the third quarter, James led the team to a 11-0 run that narrowed the gap. But in the fourth quarter, he continued to lead without being able to turn the tide.
For the entire game, James played 35 minutes, shooting 9 for 20, 2 for 6 from three-point range, and 5 for 6 from the free-throw line, scoring an empty 25 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, and 3 steals.
Today, both individually and in terms of the game result, Zubac completely outplayed Davis, playing very aggressively!
In the first half, he was solid on both ends of the court, going 4 for 6 from the field and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line, scoring 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
In the second half, Zubac not only scored himself but also did an excellent job protecting rebounds, with key putbacks and dunks in the final quarter sealing the game. In this game, he played 35 minutes, shooting 9 for 16 from the field and 3 for 3 from the free-throw line, scoring a double-double with 21 points, 19 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks.
With Leonard and Harden drawing attention, Powell was also firing on all cylinders today.
In the first quarter, he went 4 for 5 from the field, 1 for 2 from three-point range, scoring 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal with a +5 plus-minus. By halftime, Powell had already scored 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.
For the entire game, he played 37 minutes, shooting 9 for 17 from the field, 2 for 8 from three-point range, and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line, contributing 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals.